Storage-battery suspension for motor-vehicles.



No; 647,251. I Patented Apr. 10, 1900, a. H. CONDICT. STORAGE BATTERYSUSPENSHJN FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed July so, 1393-.

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\I v V ATTORNEY No. 647,251. Patented Apr. I0, I900.

a. u. CONDICT. STORAGE BATTERY SUSPENSION run moronvamclizs.

A lication filed Jul so, .1898.) (No Model.)

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No. 647,25L; Patented Apr. l0, I900. G. H. CONDICT, STORAGE- BATTERYSUSPENSIONFUR MOTOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed July 80, 1898;)

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(No Model.)

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WITNESSES NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HERBERT CONDICT, OF NEW- YORK,N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,.TO THE COLUMBIA AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPANY, OF JERSEYCITY, NEW JERSEY, AND HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

sroRAes- BATTERY SUSPENSION FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,251, dated April10, 1900.

Application filed July 30, 1898. Serial No. 687,248 (No model.)

To all whom it mtty concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-IERBERT'CON- 3101', a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a residentof New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Storage-Battery Suspension for Motor-Vehicles, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in connection with the applicationof storage batteries to electrically-propelled vehicles, under whichterm I include trucks such as are in ordinary use underelectrically-propelled street-carsand the like, and also roadwagons,cabs, and all that class of electricallypropelled vehicles'now known asautomobiles or horseless carriages.

The invention comprises a new arrangezo ment and construction wherebythe storage batteries which furnish the electric current to operate theelectric motor or motors upon said trucks, wagons, or carriages aresustained in a secure and effective manner, while 2 5 they are at thesame time very conveniently removed for renewal.

According to my invention the batteries are arranged in one large tray,for which supporting-hooks are provided and which is so designed that itcan be raised into position from below and securely supported upon thetruck or vehicle, between the wheels thereof, so as to be entirely outof the way, leaving the entire top of the truck free to receive any kindof body and not in any mannerinterfere with the operation of its motorsor mechanism. The batteries are also so low down that their weight addssteadiness and stability, and,

furthermore, are in a position where they can be removed verticallydownward by a suitable elevator instead of being pulled out sidewise orin any other manner, as will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an electric-railway-car truck of thefour-wheel type, showing the supports of the battery-tray in position, aportion of the rear part of said truck being omitted for convenience ofillustration. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l with the battery-trayin position; Fig. 3, a view in elevation, showing the central portion ofthe truck of Figs. 1 and 2, a tray of batteries being lowered therefrom,together with a form of elevator for removing the batteries. Fig. 4 is atop plan view of a road-wagon to which the invention has been applied.Fig. 5 is a side elevation, the motor outlined in Fig. 4 being omitted.Fig. 6 is a front end view of Figs. 4 and 5.

In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have illustrated a truck-framesuch as is adapted to be employed to carry the body of an ordinarystreet-oar. The motors themselves have been omitted for convenience ofillustration;

but the frame there shown will be referred to as a motor-truck frame, itbeing supposed to be the truck of a selfpropelled or motor car.

In said drawings, A indicates the truckframe, of which B is the 'topsill, upon which the car or other body is placed. The wheels areindicated at a a, and b b are the axles supporting the same. In thecentral portion of the form of truck-frame shown,in the space betweenthe wheels, are located two hinged supporting-frames or latch-bars C C,which extend crosswise of. the truck at the ends of the central space.The latch-bars C C are constructed of metal bars arranged to form astrong light frame. They may be solid plates, if desired, and howeverformed are provided with pivots D D at the upper edges of their ends,which are hinged in bearings dd, attached to the sill-plates B, so thattheir lower parts and edges can swing back and forth. Beveled strips ofmetal E E are formed upon by turning up a portion of or secured to thelower edges of the latch-bars,with their edges projecting inward towardthe space for the battery-tray between them.

Longitudinal bars F are connected with the lower sills B B or otherwisesecured to the truck-frame and extend across the outer portions of thecentral space, and upon these bars are pivoted, one at each side, two T-5 headed levers G G. From the extremities of the short arms g g whichcomprise the head of the lever G, extend connecting-rods II I, which arepivotally connected to the lower edges of the ends of the swinging I00lower portions.

lever G they, through said lever and the connecting-rods H I, maintainan inward pressure upon the swinging latch bars or plates 0 0. Wheredesired, a stop t" may be provided to limit the movement of the lever Gand latch-bar C 0 when the battery-tray has been removed.

The extending arm 9 of the lever G is formed with an aperture j in itsextremity to receive a detachable hooked rod R (indicated in Fig. 3) andwhen drawn downward forces out the connecting-rods H I and swings thehinged latch bars or plates 0 C, separating their Whilel haveillustrated and described my invention in connection with one form oftruck and one form of vehicle, it must be understood that it is notlimited thereto, but may be applied to other forms, and that the batterysupporting and releasing apparatus may be used in other relations thanthose here shown without in any way departing from the invention J is atray containing the batteries M, and in the construction indicated inFigs. 1, 2, and 3 the tray is strengthened and supported by a number ofstrong bars of channel-iron K, which extend under and sustain the floorof the tray. The extremities of the channelirons K are turned up againstthe sides of the tray, Figs. 2 and 3, and their ends are turned over toform hooks L, arranged in parallel lines, so as to engage and rest uponand be supported by the beveled strips EE upon the swinging supportinglatch bars or plates 0 O.

The tray of batteries is applied to the truck by being raised verticallyinto the space bounded by the swinging plates 0 C, and as said tray israised the points of the hooks L engage and separate the platessufficiently to allow them to pass, when the retractingsprings, tendingalways'to draw said latchbars together, bring the edges of the strips EE under the hooks and hold them there, making an exceedingly strong andefficient support. The trays of charged batteries are raised intoposition and the trays of spent batteries are removed by means of anelevator working in a pit arranged between the rails of the track onwhich the truck rests, sub stantially as indicated in Fig. 3. Thespecific devices, however, for operating the elevator are not shown, asthey will form the subject-matter of a separate application for LettersPatent.

The elevator, as shown, comprises a body N, mounted upon Wheels orresting upon trucks upon the platform 0, said platform being connectedby suitable chains P with the hoisting-engine. (Not shown.)

When in position upon the body N, the tray of batteries to be suppliedto a car-truckjs raised by the elevator until in position in the spacedescribed, and as it reaches the desired height the hooks L upon thetray force out the latch-bars O C until the strips E Eclose in under thehooks L, by which they are firmly clamped in position through the actionof springs 2' Without further attention or manipulation.

When a tray of batteries is to be removed, the elevator is run upunderthem and is then further moved to slightly raise the tray until thehooks L are above the edges of the strips E E, when the hooked rod R isapplied to the lever g by the attendant from below and the lever pulleddownward. By this action con necting-rods H I and the lower ends ofplates 0 O are forced apart, so that the hooks L will clear the beveledstrips E E when the tray is released and may be lowered and removed bythe elevator. V

In the foregoing I have referred to a motorcar and a motor-truck. I willnow refer to the invention in connection with a motor-vehicle, underwhich term I include any kind of vehicle which does not run upon tracks,as does the truck of a motor-car.

In Fig. at is shown a plan view of a road wagon which comprises frontand rear axles b b and wheels a a A suitable electric motor M isconnected with the rear axle b or with the wheels thereof in order topropel the vehicle, no particular form of mechanical connection beingshown.

B B are the side frame-bars, which are mounted upon the springs B Binterposed between them and the axles. To the bars B B are hingeddownwardly-depending swinging frames or latch-bars C 0 similar in theirmode of operation to those already described, except that the hookssustaining the batterytrays are dispensed with and said trays arecarried upon the upturned lower edges E E of the latch-bars 0 G Thelower edges of the tray J may be faced with metal. Pins 66 or similarretaining devic es project upwardly from the edges E E of thesupporting-plates and enter corresponding holes in the lower edges ofthe tray to more effectively prevent displacement.

An elevatorsuch as indicated in Fig. 3 may be employed to apply andremove the tray of batteries, as already described, and the arrangementof the retaining devices being more accessible can be operated directlyby the attendant. The lever G is accordingly provided with an extensionR, adapted to be operated by hand.

The specific construction shown in' Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 differs slightly,but not generically, from that previously described, as set forth, sothat further detailed explanation does not seem to be required.

Various details of the apparatus hereinbefore described may obviously bemodified without the exercise of invention. I therefore do not limitmyself to the exact construction set forth.

In the description the terms motor-truck and motor-vehicle are both usedbut so far IIO as the present inventionis concerned they are synonymousand are used only for convenience of description.

As pointed out in the claims, a motor-Vehicle means either form or bothof those set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A motor-vehicle havinga downwardlyopen space between the carrying=wheels thereof, supportingdevices at the sides of said space, and a tray adapted to fit into andbe sustained by said devices in the space, and a single means forsimultaneously operating a plurality of supporting devices.

2. A motor-vehicle having a downwardlyopen space between thecarrying-wheels thereof, supporting devices at the sides of said spaceand a tray adapted to fit into and be sustained by said devices in thespace, and a single means for simultaneously releasing the supportingdevices.

3. A motor-vehicle having a downwardlyopenspace between thecarryingwheels thereof, supporting devices at the sides of said space,and a tray adapted to fit into and be sustained by said devices in thespace and spring-held in locked position, and a single means forsimultaneously releasing the supporting devices.

4. A motor-vehicle having a downwardlyopen space, a tray for containingbatteries and provided with extended supports upon its exterior andadapted-to be moved into said space from below, and latch-bars pivotedupon the vehicle and adapted to swing into and out of engagement withthe supports upon the tray.

5. A motor-vehicle. having a downwardlyopen space, a tray for containingbatteries and provided with extended supports upon its exterior andadapted to move into said space from below, and latch-bars pivoted uponthe vehicle and adapted to swing into and out of engagement with thesupports upon the tray, and a single means for simultaneously operatingthe latch-bars.

6. In a motor-truck a pair of swinging 1atchbars, spring-held levers andconnecting-rods extending therefrom to said latch-bars for holding themnormally in substantially-vertical position, a battery-tray adapted toengage the latch-bars when placed between them,and means for operatingthe levers against the tension of their springs and separating thelatchbars simultaneously to release the tray.

7. In a motor-vehicle a pair of swinging supporting-frames, spring-heldlevers and connecting-rods extending therefrom to said frames forholding them normally in substantially-vertical position, a battery-trayprovided with means adapted to engage the latch-bars when said tray israised vertically between them and means for operating the leversagainst the tension of their springs and separating the latch-barssimultaneously to release the tray.

8. A vehicle having separated swinging latch-bars, one or more leverspivotally mounted upon the vehicle-frame and provided withoppositely-extending connecting rods pivotally connected near the loweredges of the latch-bars, a retracting-spring connected with the leverand acting to normally hold the latch-bars toward each other and insubstantially-vertical position and a lever for overcoming the spring,moving the parts and separating the latch-bars thereby releasing thetray.

9. A motor-vehicle, a storage battery, a tray for said batteries,devices depending below the floor of said vehicle about adownwardly-open space and adapted to engage the floor of said tray andhold the tray and'batteries in suspended engagement with the vehicle.

10. A battery-tray having supporting devices comprising bars extendingunder the floor of the tray, said bars being turned up at their endsagainst opposite walls of the tray and provided with hooks at theirextremities.

11. A battery-tray having supporting de vices comprising transversechannel-bars, said bars being turned up at their ends against the sidesof the tray and formed into hooks, the said hooks being arranged inparallel lines on opposite sides of the tray.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 29th day of July, 1898.

GEORGE HERBERT CON DICT,

Witnesses:

FRANKLAND J ANNUS, S. G. I-IYATT.

